1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recreational vehicles having extendable/retractable elements such as awnings or room slide-outs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the vehicle industry, it is known to have electronic devices that are connected with devices built into the vehicle. A large segment of the American population owns motor homes, travel trailers, or fifth wheel trailers, broadly referred to herein as recreational vehicles (RVs).
RVs typically include a housing unit mounted on top of a chassis. Also mounted to the chassis is one or more axles with wheels attached thereon so as to allow travel of the RV. The RV can be either pulled by a towing vehicle, or be self-propelled.
Many RVs have an awning that can be deployed when at rest so as to provide a cover from sun and rain. A typical awning is positioned along the side of the RV such that when deployed, it provides a cover from the sun and rain so as to enhance the RV experience.
RVs are known to have rooms that may be extended and retracted. U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,756 issued to Frerichs et al. shows one such room extender. An extended slide-out provides more internal living space for the comfort and convenience of occupants. When the slide-out is retracted the RV then conforms to a street legal width specification and also increases the rigidity and aerodynamic performance of the mobile RV.
The RV may have several rooms which can be expanded with a slide-out system. Each slide-out generally involves a single, integrated structure which can be moved with respect to the vehicle chassis. The movable structure includes a floor, a ceiling, side walls, and an exterior wall which are connected together. The structure is sized and dimensioned so that it can pass through an opening in an exterior wall of the RV, and is motor driven so that it may move outward into the extended position, and inward into a retracted position. U.S. Publication Nos. 2005/0184546, 2006/0125266, and 2006/0113822 all disclose slide-out drive systems that may be used with extendable bay windows within slide-out rooms.
C. T. Yoder, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,132, discloses a travel trailer with a slide-out room having a floor, side walls, end wall, and a roof. Movement of the slide-out room between its extended and retracted or travel positions is achieved with an electric motor connected through a gear box to telescopic extension members. The outside wall of the slide-out room is connected to the extension members. The connection includes vertically-adjustable bolt and nut assemblies to vertically position the slide-out room relative to the trailer side wall. D. R. Cooper, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,782, discloses a travel trailer with a slide-out room mounted on movable rails. The room and rails are laterally moved with a worm gear driven by an electric motor. The outside wall of the slide-out room has an outwardly-directed peripheral extension supporting a liquid-sealing assembly. The sealing assembly engages an adjacent portion of the trailer side wall to prevent water, snow, and air from flowing into the interior of the trailer when the slide-out room is in the retracted position.
What is needed in the art is a system and method that will act to protect the vulnerable extendable elements when the RV is being readied for transport.